Going into the 2014 season the Yankees were expected to win the AL East and potentially reach the Fall Classic due to signing Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury, Carlos Beltran, and Masahiro Tanaka; but injuries left them hobbling to 84 wins. So, after a fairly quiet offseason, including Derek Jeter retiring, the expectations were not that high for them in the 2015 campaign, yet here they are in June sitting atop the AL East. Why? Health and pitching.
Lots of MLB analysts did not see this coming because of Jeter’s retirement being an end to an era, and the disappointment the newly signed players from the 2013 offseason brought last year. However, 84 wins in 2014 were pretty good considering all the bumps and bruises the Yankees suffered during last year’s campaign. But, the return to pinstripe glory was a big question going into the 2015 season.
The whole roster had question marks all over the place to start the campaign such as A-rod and Texeria’s impact; could they be even half of what they were before, or can Tanaka lead that rotation to victory? There may had been tons of concerns, but Joe Girardi being one of the best minds in the game, has an act for waving his magic wand with the team he has got. He may not have had to do that as much so far this year, but he is still making things happen.
First of all, A-rod’s and Tex’s great performances so far are no surprise. Rodriguez had a tremendous Spring Training with a whole new attitude, and Tex has been very healthy since September of 2014. Those two guys have been true leaders for young guys like Didi Gregorius and Pirela. Secondly, Brett Gardner and Jacoby Ellsbury have continued to impress. Thirdly, as many projected, Michael Pineda finally got healthy and has been stellar with a 7-2 record and a 3.33 ERA, while Tanaka has been superb when not on the DL. Lastly, Giraridi has managed the new look bullpen really well, along with the back of the rotation. With the health gods looking over the Yanks, veterans making a stand, Andrew Miller along with Dellin Betances being the most dominant 1-2 punch in the game, and the manager moving the roster around to make improvements, the Yankees are well on their way to an AL East crown. The thing is though, their hot start is no surprise, as if it wasn’t for the DL gutting half of the Yankees roster in 2014, they would have been a lot better than 84 wins.
